Extensible car-step.



W. H. VINSDN.

.EXTENSIBLE CAR STEP. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1915.

1,170,368. Patented Fehl, 1916.

El ST WILLIAM H. VINSON, OF JONESBORO, ARKANSAS.

EXTENSIBLE CAR-STEP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Application filed September 13, 1915. Serial No. 50,428.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. VINSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at J onesboro, in the county of Craighead and State ofArkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inExtensible Car-Steps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention contemplates an improved extensible car step and has asits primary object to provide a step of this character which may bereadily applied to steps of railway coaches now in common use, and whichwill present a neat and attractive appearance. I

The invention has as a further object to provide a step which willnormally gravitate to operative position and which at the same time maybe easily shifted to inoperative position. And a still further object ofthe invention is to provide an improved step of this character which maybe securely locked in inoperative position so that possible accidentalinjury to the step when not in use,

will be reduced to a minimum.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds andin the drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment ofthe invention and wherein similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views: Figure 1 is aperspective view showing my improved extensible step in connection withthe steps of a conventional type of railway coach, Fig. 2 is a rearelevation more particularly showing the mounting of the extensible step,Fig. 3 is a sectional View showing the disposition of the step whenmoved to inoperative position, and Fig. 4: is

a sectional view on a slightly enlarged scale showing one of theanti-friction bearings for the supporting rods of the step.

In illustrating the present invention, I have, for convenience, shown myimproved step in connection with steps of a conventional type of railwaycoach. The steps of the coach, as is usual, are provided'with spacedside members and 11 which support the steps proper indicated at 12.

In carrying out the present invention, I

employ brackets 13 which are preferably formed from suitable sheet metaland are secured to the inner faces of the members 10 and 11 atoppositely disposed points as more particularly shown in Fig. 2. Formedon the brackets 13 at spaced points, are laterally projecting lugs orguide members 15 which extendinwardly between the members l0 and 11, thebrackets being so mounted that the lugs 15, are s pported in a planeconforming to the inclination of the steps of the coach.

Mounted to slide upon the lugs 15 of the brackets 13 are-supporting rods16 and 17 respectively which are received within antifriction bearingscarried by the lugs, as more particularly shown in Fig. 4:. Pref-'erably, each of these bearings includes an annular sleeve 18substantially semi-circular in cross-section and in which are arrangedis provided with a substantially circular opening into which projectequidistantly spaced radial tongues 20, one pair of which is arranged toengage beneath the sleeve, as more particularly shown in Fig. .4, vwhilethe other pair is arranged to engage over the sleeve so that the sleevewill be rigidly supported in position. Preferably, the tongues 20 arestruck from the lugs and'since the brackets 13 are preferably formedfrom resilient material, the tongues will yieldably engage the sleevesso that any rattling between the parts will be obviated.

At their lower extremities, the rods 16 and 17 are provided withlaterally vdirected terminals extending outwardly beneath the bottomstep of the coach and secured to said terminals in any suitable manneris a step 21. The rod 16 at its inner extremity,{is bent to provide asubstantially U-shaped terminal embracing the rear edge of the sidemember 11 of the coach steps with the side portion or arm 22 of the saidterminal disposed upon the outer side of thesaid mem- I her insubstantially parallel relation thereto,

While the bight portion 23 of the said terminal is received within asuitable recess formed in the rear edge of the said side member at theupper extremity thereof.

The bight portion 23 of the rod 16 provides a stop while the innerextremity of the rod 17 is bent laterally to form a similar stop 24, thesaid stops being adapted to engage the uppermost of the lugs 15 of thebrackets 13 for limiting the rods 16 and 17 in their downward shiftingmovement upon said brackets with the step 21 supported in spacedrelation below the bottom step of the coach, as illustrated in Fig. 1.In this connection, it will be observed that the step 21 will thusnormally gravitate to operative position.

The arm 22 at its free end is bent to provide a lug projecting laterallyaway from the member 11 of the coach steps and pivotally connected tothe said lug is a locking member or lever 25. Arranged to cooperate withthe locking member 25 is a post or stop 26 which is mounted to projectlaterally from the upper extremity of the member 11 of the coach stepsand is provided at its outer end with an upstanding stop lug. Asparticularly shown in Fig. 3, the rods 16 and 17 are shiftable todispose the step 21 in inoperative position immediately beneath thebottom step of the coach and when so disposed, the locking member 25 maybe shifted upon the arm 22 to engage the stop 26 as clearly illustratedin Fig. 2 when the said locking member will then securely support thestep 21 in elevated position. Owing to the presence of the upstandingstop lug upon the post 26, the step 21 must first be shifted upwardlyabove its normal inoperative position in order that the locking member25 may be swung upon its pivot out of the path of the stop to free thesaid step.

. Consequently, accidental displacement of the locking member from thepost 26 to release the step 21, will be reduced to a minimum so thatwhen desired, the said step will be safely supported in elevatedposition.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. The combination with spaced members, of a step mounted to shiftthereon to project below the said members, a stop carried by one ofsaid-members, and a locking member shiftable with the step andswingingly movable to engage said stop for supporting the step inelevated position.

2. The combination with spaced members, of a step mounted to gravitatethereon to a position projecting below the said members,

a pivotally mounted stop carried by one ofsaid members, and a swinginglymounted locking member shiftable with the step and movable into the pathof said stop to engage therewith for supporting the step in f elevatedposition.

8. The combination with spaced members, of a step shiftable thereon toproject below the members and provided with a supporting rod having anarm embracing one of the members, a stop carried by the said member, anda locking member carried by said arm and shiftable to engage the stopfor supporting the step in elevated position.

1. A device of the character described including spaced rods, a stepsecured thereto, one of said rods being bent to provide a substantiallyU-shaped terminal, a locking member carried by the said terminal, and astop for the locking member, the rods being adapted for attachment tospaced members to shift longitudinally thereon with the step projectingbelow the members and with the said U-shaped terminal embracing the rearedge of one of the members, the stop being supported by the said memberand engageable by said locking member for supporting the step inelevated position upon the members.

5. The combination with spaced members, of brackets carried thereby,rods carried by said brackets, a step carried by the rods and shiftabletherewith upon the brackets to project below the lower ends of saidmembers, stops carried by the rods and adapted to engage the bracketsfor limiting the step in its downward shifting movement, a stop carriedby one of said members, an arm car ried by one of said rods andsupported upon the outer side of said member, and a locking membershiftable upon said arm to engage said last mentioned stop forsupporting the step in elevated position upon the members.

6. The combination with spaced members, of brackets secured thereto andprovided with lugs having openings formed therein, tongues formed fromthe lugs and projecting into said openings, anti-friction bearingsdisposed in said openings and engaged by said tongues, rods shiftablethrough said bearings and provided with a step movable with the rods toproject below the lower extremities of said members, a stop carried byone of said members, and a locking member associated with one of saidrods and shiftable to engage the stop for supporting the step inelevated position.

7. The combination with spaced members, of rods shiftable thereon andsupporting a step movable with the rods to project below the lowerextremities of said members, one of the rods being bent to embrace oneof the members, a stop carried by said member, and a locking memberswingingly connected to the free end of said rod and engageable withsaid stop for supporting the step in elevated position upon the members.

8. A device of the character described including spaced brackets,anti-friction bearings carried thereby, coacting rods shiftablysupported by the said bearings, a step carried by the said rods, aswingingly mounted locking lever carried by one of the rods andshiftable therewith, and a stop associated with said lever, the bracketsbeing adapted for attachment to spaced members 1 with the rodssupporting the step projected below the said members and movable toengage the locking member with said stop for.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signa-.

ture.

WILLIAM H. VINSON. [L. 8.]

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

